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(N0 Model.)

T. P. CRANE. ARM BEST FOR PENMEN.

No. 364,705. Patented June 14, 1887.

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' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE F. CRANE, OF NEWVARK, NEW JERSEY.

ARM-REST FOR PENMEN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 364,705, dated June 14,1887.

Application filed July 1, 1886. Serial No. 206,857. I (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE F. CRANE, a citizen of the United States,residingin Newark, Essex county, NewJersey, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Ohirographic Rests, fully described andrepresented in thefollowing specification, and the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of the same. a

This invention relates to a chirographic rest, or means for supportingthe arm of a penman or draftsman upon the work table or desk; and itconsists in the construction herein shown. and described for suchdevice.

The nature of the invention will be understood by reference to theannexed drawings, in which- Figure lshows a part of atable with the armof a penman provided with such a rest. 2'is an edge view, and Fig. 3 aplan, of the rest shown in Fig. 1, and constructed of sheetsteel bent tofit the forearm.

The arm-rest consists in an oblong plate of sheet metal, 0, with roundedcorners d, and arched so that only its two ends are in contact with thetable, the hollow on the top of the arm-rest being obtained by punchinga wide tongue, 6, from each end of the plate 0 and bending the sameupward to form a concave socket, f. Such tongues are shown in Fig. 3,united to the substance of the plate at their inner ends, and are eachprovided with a heartshaped opening, e, to make them lighter. The endsof the plate are bent slightly upward, like the rounded ends of thesolid block a, to make them slide more freely over the desk, and theentire structure, being made of thin sheet metal, is more or lesselastic, and thus yields somewhat to fit the arm and furnishesaslightlyyielding support for the same. Such arm-rest is intended to beapplied to the arm at the swell 'of the forearm muscle, midway betweenthe Fig.

port to both the hand and arm, and removes in particular the weight ofthe hand from the desk or paper upon which itis lying, and thus preventsits moist and adhesive surface from friction with the same. The operatoris thus enabled to execute all the movements necessary in writing anddrawing with greater ease, freedom, and grace than when his hand restswith its entire weight upon the paper and its friction is a constantimpediment to the exertion of his muscles.

The yielding character of the. forearm muscle permits a longitudinalmovement of the forearm independently of any movement that can beeffected by the movement of the fingers, and enables a penman to formthe letters in his text of a uniform height, when a little practice hasfamiliarizcd him with the extent of such movement. Such a movement canbe readily observed or effected by holding the pen immovably in thefingers and vibrating the forearm longitudinally upon the rest. \Vhilesuch a forearm movement is constantly available without any musculareffort or fatigue, the usual movements of the hand and fingers may allbe practiced with greater facility than when operating without thearm-rest. The device, by thus relieving the operator of the effortrequired to shift the weight of the hand constantly over the paper,secures great freedom from fatigue in the practice of penmanship,prevents the cramps which often result from such fatigue, and enablesthe operator to greatly increase the rapidity and accuracy of his workwith a material diminution in the labor.

The proper use of this device requires the flat or muscular under sideof the arm, rather than the bony outer edge of the same, to be placedupon the arm-rest,and thus compels the penman to hold the flat of thearm toward the desk, as required by the best teachers, and to hold thepen with the point in the direction of its movement. The arm-rest, beingmade very light, may be attached to the arm by an elastic, as shown at gin Fig. 1. The armrestis thus retained in a suitable position upon thearm when moved from one desk to another, or shifted, as is often done bya book-keeper, from one large volume to another.

I am aware that it is not new to construct a chirographic arm-resthollowed at the top to a, bent therefrom and turned upward to form ahollow or socket, f, fitted to the forearm, substantially as herein setforth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

writing desk or table, and I therefore disclaim such construction,broadly, limiting myself to that specifically claimed herein.

WVhat I therefore claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is-

As a new article of manufacture, the chirographic arrn-rest herein shownand described,

fit the forearm and adapted to slide over the I l, rnEoDoEE F. CRANE.

and consisting of a sheet-metal plate, 0, having Vitnesses: its middlearched and its ends (1 bent upward Tnos. S. CRANE,

to slide over the desk, and having two tongues, L. LEE.

